Changes Exposed
by sunshine372008
Summary: A Pre-5x08 Story Idea - Handshakes and stolen moments together, are never enough to satisfy the insatiable hunger. Will careless actions cause more exposure than they realise?


A Pre-5x08 (After Hours) Episode idea.

Disclaimer - I wish I owned Castle but sadly I own nothing at all.

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Handshakes.

Stolen moments in the crowded precinct.

Early morning hand holding on the way to the body drop.

And, late night phone conversations.

She is a woman who needs more, _much_ more than these fleeting moments. Kate reflects on the many nights spent alone this week, without _him_, and her gaze wanders from the paperwork in front of her, to the man in question. He stands at the murder board methodically packing away the case information. He is the _entire_ reason for her distraction. Her eyes wander from his shapely calves to his pert, rounded backside. Losing track of her thoughts, she instead remembers the fun she had with that area of his body last week. She inquisitively wonders if he still bears the marks of her teeth and smiles coyly.

_Hmm, such fun_, she recalls.

Refocusing her mind, she remembers their current location. People still aren't aware of the change in their partnership and being caught perusing her partner's assets could bring this ruse to an abrupt end, which will be far too soon for her liking. She has enjoyed the secretive nature of their blossoming new relationship but the intensity between them is rising to levels that can't be satisfied by the meagre moments they are managing to steal around her hectic job. The words 'secret' and 'relationship,' remind her of the conversation they'd had last night on the phone about the need to inform her father of the change in her life. That _change_ being _him_. She contemplates how she will even introduce him to her father._ Her lover?_ Shaking her head she realises she can't call him that._ Her boyfriend?_ She feels awkward even thinking about that word, it's not like they're fifteen again. The only word that strikes true in her mind is, _partner._ The difference being he is now a partner in her_ life_, in her_ bed,_ and in her_ heart_.

Essentially, he is her partner in every way possible.

Speaking of her partner, her eyes catch his sudden movement as he pivots his torso, the tightly defined muscles of his back ripple through his shirt as he rotates his body towards her. He is placing more paperwork in the archive box that will be heading to records after this never-ending day is finished with.

She wishes she could just rip his shirt off and take in the view of his body, unobstructed by mundane things such as clothing. What a _spectacular_ view it is too, with those broad, manly shoulders, shoulders that she has latched onto many a night in the throes of their passion, she's surprised he doesn't have crescent-shaped scars from her fingernails. It would be his own fault if he did, what does he expect when he drives her to despair with the _spectacular_ things he does with his mouth? And, that's without mentioning the _other_ parts of his anatomy.

He is certainly a man with talents.

So. _Many_. Talents.

Kate is suddenly shaken from her daydream by the familiar feeling of a set of curious eyes watching her. She raises her head and finds his sparkling blue eyes meeting her green. The cheeky grin on his face instantly tells her he has caught her staring at him.

Yes, she is definitely _busted_ and imagines the look on her face tells him_ exactly_ what she was thinking.

"Well, Beckett, I do believe you were just _caught._"

_Caught with a capital 'C'_, he thinks to himself while wondering exactly what is running through her mind.

His brain snaps the puzzle pieces together.

The dishevelled look on her face, her flushed cheeks, and those bedroom eyes she gets,_ Oh, those bedroom eyes_, can only indicate one thing. Kate Beckett _was checking him out_. He beams his wide smile at her, proud of the fact that he so obviously has an effect on her. Not that he doesn't already know the effect he has on her after these last few months, those screams she emits in the bedroom are _certainly_ not a bad thing.

"See something you like?" he says, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She looks him in the eye, "As a matter of fact, I see an empty murder board which I just _love_!" Her quick retort and suggestive smile leave him with a quickened heartbeat.

Time for a comeback of his own, he muses, as he stalks towards her. "So something large, rigid and _unyielding_ is the key to your heart?"

Kate feels the familiar, undeniable flush of heat run through her. She briefly contemplates taking him right here and now, but flashes of Gates interrupting them at that moment is enough to send shivers down her spine. Instead, she quickly decides the paperwork can wait. Her eyes flicker back down to her desk where she pushes the paperwork to the edge, squaring it up as she does so.

"Hmm," she hums.

She can feel the heat of his body crowding into her from his standing position at her side. She can't make eye contact with him now or she will be pushing him backwards over her desk and straddling him before she knows what she's doing. She really needs to be at home right now, not stuck in some kind of workplace hell with her _partner_ who she desperately wants to jump, but can't, because they are doing a_ ridiculous_ amount of paperwork. Yes, paperwork, from another pointless murder over a trivial neighbourhood dispute. A dispute which could have been solved by simply negotiating over the parking spot.

Which then would have meant she could be at home right now doing all sorts of salacious and libidinous things to said partner.

She snaps her head up from her reverie; she has to stop thinking like this right now. Or at least stop thinking like this long enough to get out of the precinct while he is still wearing clothing.

She pushes up from her chair and is reaching for her bag and jacket by the time Castle has registered that she has moved. He worries he may have pushed the flirting too far at work. She'd warned him numerous times that they needed to be professional. He contemplates, maybe _warned_ is the wrong word; _threatened_ is probably far more accurate. She started it, so surely that means he can't get into_ too_ much trouble.

He is still standing beside her chair as he watches her turn and walk towards the elevator doors. His mind is running through all of the ways he can fix this situation. He _needs_ her tonight, they haven't seen enough of each other in the last few days. And he needs to see a _whole_ lot of her tonight, he thinks, as his eyes drift to her perfectly shaped ass, which is sauntering away in those tight jeans that he loves so much.

She feels his eyes burning into her, the heat radiating throughout her body. She quickly spins on her heel to face him. Seeing his eyes flash up from the midway point of her body to her amused eyes, she swiftly casts her favourite line to him with a grin plastered across her face.

"You coming, Castle?"

Oh he'll be _coming_ alright, he thinks to himself.

He manages to contain his anticipation enough to mumble "Yeah, without a doubt," while rushing to catch up to her.

They both enter the elevator when it arrives. Castle is wondering how he is going to survive. The minx that she is. _His_ minx he grins proudly as he turns to face the doors. He looks at his watch and calculates he only needs to survive another 20 minutes before they'll be home, to her house that is. Finally, they'll be able to succumb to this strained tension. He feels the frenzy within his body building already.

Breaking the deafening silence within the constricting box, he casually contemplates aloud, "You know, Kate, we can head home to my place tonight."

An emphatic "No," is thrown back at him.

He is stunned by her answer. "But it will be quicker," he replies.

"We won't be_ alone_," she responds as she reaches over to press the ground floor button.

She throws a glare sideways at him as she straightens up next to him. He feels a hand come to rest on his rear, stunning him for a moment.

"Oh," he manages to squeak out.

Who is he to argue with a woman who quite clearly knows what she wants tonight? "Okay, your place it is," he responds. _Now just to find a way to fast forward time_, he thinks to himself.

She feels slick sweat run down between her breasts, October really isn't the time of year to be sweating, but _he_ is having this effect on her, has done so almost since he started shadowing her, but it has definitely increased three-fold since they took their relationship to the next level. She thought the flirting and intense attraction may abate somewhat, but instead, it has only soared to new heights.

The heat rolls through her with intensity, ending at her finger tips like pulses of electricity. She swiftly removes her hand from his rear returning it to her side, her palm still radiating and tingling with the warmth. She feels the back of his fingers brush against hers causing the remaining electricity to arc between them. _Why is this elevator taking so long?_ She contemplates. The need to get off this damn elevator before they combust increases with every passing second. Kate realises she has been off in her own little world, hardly noticing Castle standing tall and rigid next to her. Their shoulders and fingers being the only physical parts touching. But there is an undeniable connection in the air that circles around them, encompassing them together with invisible chains. Chains that were painstakingly joined link-by-link by them both. He has contributed his patience, heart and persistence, while she feels like she has only contributed problems, heartache and lost time. Kate shakes her head, realising she can't think like that anymore. They wouldn't be standing here if the time wasn't taken to repair herself, to ensure she was whole enough to let the chains bind her to him.

Suddenly the elevator doors open and the quiet, secluded bubble they were in _bursts._

* * *

The entry door to the foyer of her building swings open, a tumble of unrecognisable bodies stumble through it. Castle encircles her waist with his arm, struggling to keep them upright at the same time. The car ride from the precinct was charged with anticipation. Like a ripple across the ocean, building with every street corner they passed until it became a wave threatening to engulf them. Their urgency to make it to her apartment was an unspoken statement between them.

Taking her hand in his, Castle propels them towards the stairwell with urgency.

"In a hurry, Castle?"

"Just wanting to get you home," he pauses and adds, "long day, just want to relax."

She hums, teasing "And here I was thinking you were just in a hurry to get me naked."

"Oh, Detective, but naked_ is_ relaxing," he responds with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Her eyes smile back at him. The sexual tension ignites around them, threatening to steal the oxygen from the atmosphere. They both instantly recognise that an accelerated dance to her doorway is about to begin.

Kate takes the lead up the stairs, still clutching his hand. Castle groans inwardly as he realises he will have to endure the excruciating pain of watching her pert rear ascend the stairs. A sight he would usually be _eager_ to savour, but after todays heightened atmosphere, he isn't sure he can endure any more teasing. The sashaying of her hips with each step is mesmerising, causing him to inadvertently increase his pace until he connects with her back at the top of the first flight of stairs. He circles his arm around her waist, pulling her back into him at the same time. _Oh, big mistake_, he thinks, as his groin connects with her backside.

He is thankful her hair is up in a loose bun as he finds his mouth instinctively drawn to the exposed nape of her neck. Laying soft kisses along the exposed ridges of her spine, the scent of her cherry blossom moisturiser fills his senses. She rolls her head back towards him at the same time, exhaling a low groan. Moving his hands up from her waist, he explores her stomach as he steps around her. Savouring the feeling of his warm touch, her eyes flutter shut.

Kate stands frozen on the landing, spellbound by his mouth and hands. A jolt of heat runs down the length of her spine collecting in her lower abdomen, while relishing the feeling of his fierce kisses on her neck as he moves around her. The notion that they are in public and fast descending to lewd behaviour, briefly registers in her mind before he slides his tongue down to her collarbone. The moan of approval that escapes her lips urges him on, his lips travelling further down her chest towards her cleavage.

He has become a servant to his hunger, his hands map mindlessly up her stomach and over her breasts. He fumbles with the buttons of her top, needing more of her skin exposed.

Her mind flashes out of its lust induced haze, she reaches to still his hands.

"Castle," she exhales.

He mumbles something, his lips still attacking her chest. She runs her hands up his muscular arms and pushes back on his shoulders.

"We can't," Kate gasps, "...not here"

Still panting, his eyes meet the serious look in hers, despite her voice's deceiving tone.

He forces a stumbling response from his lungs. "Right. Yep. Okay."

Spinning on the spot, he now has new-found determination to get to her front door as _quickly_ as possible. He starts off with a renewed purpose to ascend the last flight of stairs at lightning speed.

Registering his absence instantly, she is on his heels, matching his pace and determination to get to the front door of the apartment. The lure of his body is beyond what she can handle any longer. She just needs to get his clothes off and have access to his _whole_ body. Reaching out, she snags her fingers on the edge of his jeans waistband. Hoping she can satisfy her desire for a little longer, she slides her fingers just inside his pants to touch the warm skin of his lower back. She feels the shiver he emits roll over her fingertips. Each step seems like an eternity, both of them climbing the highest mountain peak. If this is what the tension between them creates after only a few nights apart, she hates to think of what may happen after a week apart. _Explosion, combustion, ignition, bang; all of the above and more._

"Kate," he drawls as he turns towards her on the second landing, "...not a wise move if you want to actually make it to your apartment."

"Might have changed my mind," she confesses, before launching herself at him.

Lips connecting with lips, her tongue laving across his bottom lip, begging for access to his mouth. He opens his mouth, more in surprise than anything else, teeth clashing awkwardly between them and tongues no longer fighting the magnetism they share.

She snakes one hand up to the nape of his neck to bring their bodies closer together, while the other hand slides down his back to resume its position at his waistband. She pushes her hand further between his smooth skin and rough jeans, cherishing the feel of his taut posterior beneath her fingers. She gives him a squeeze, jolting him out of his daze.

He registers that they are on her floor, if he can just get her around the corner and down the hallway they will be at her door.

Summoning what little restraint remains, he encompasses her upper body with his arms and spins her around, pushing her back up against the wall. A soft "_oomph_" spills from her lips and tumbles into the air between them. Having inhaled enough breath to survive, his lips are back on hers in an instant. Sliding her hands up his back, she scratches her fingernails across the fabric of his shirt. What little resolve he did have rapidly melts from the heat that races through his veins.

Hastily, he runs his hands down her arms, over her hips and sweeps around the back of her upper thighs. Without warning he hitches her up, instinctively, she wraps her legs around his hips. The motion of her adjusting her weight against him causes a slow grind between them. He ponders for a moment, exactly how much trouble he will be in if he lets _this moment_ keep going? He suspects they are at a point of no return, and he knows, without a doubt, how much trouble he will be in if he allows things to get out of hand. He figures a few days abstinence will be the least of his worries.

Gathering all his remaining strength, he pulls her even closer to him and backs away from the wall. Carrying all of her weight, he slowly walks towards the corner of the stairway that leads to the hall of her apartment.

_Home Stretch now Ricky, don't stuff this up_. The vibration he feels against his hip is, from what he assumes one of their phones, interrupting his train of thought.

Feeling it as well, Kate tears her lips away from his mouth and gasps in a low growl, "Don't even think of answering that."

He is fairly certain it's_ her_ phone ringing, but at this moment, he won't be arguing with her.

"No chance," he says as his eyes meet hers with a look that says _I'm about five seconds away from ravishing you._

Her lips and teeth are on his neck, nipping and sucking at his pulse point, as he turns the corner. She senses the tired quiver in his arms and squeezes her inner thighs around his hips, hauling herself further up his sizeable frame.

He is lost in the sensation of her warm body against his and her lips injecting desire directly into his veins.

Needing his eyes to focus on walking the rest of the way to her door, he raises them as he turns the last corner leading into the hallway, which leads to her door.

Through hazy eyes, he instantly sees a figure standing at her door. He blinks, at the same time trying to clear the lust-induced fog that has invaded his brain. He registers an older male with his head bowed, looking intently at something in his hand. Seeing the profile of his face, Castle rapidly searches his brain for familiarities. Suddenly, the spark of a connection is made, and he realises he is looking at Jim Beckett, the father of the woman who currently has her legs wrapped around his middle.

She has also somehow managed to snake her hand between them and is currently palming his impressive bulge through the dark jeans he's wearing.

Stumbling abruptly, she raises her head from the crook of his neck. Lips swollen and face flushed, she catches the terrified look on his face. "What's wrong Castle?" She exhales breathlessly, "...you usually love my hand_ there_."

At the sound of his daughter's voice, Jim Beckett's head swivels around to catch sight of the pair wrapped around each other. Instantly, he is taken aback by the sight at the end of the hallway. Not to mention what he just heard come from his daughter's lips. He knows she isn't a child anymore, but he obviously does not want to witness any intimate behaviour or discussions where she is concerned.

"Uh, umm," Castle stutters, "...Kate," pausing slightly, "...you, umm, have a visitor."

Watching Richard Castle, her partner, lower his daughter to her feet, Jim turns back to stare straight ahead at the door. Being an intensively private man, he feels the heat rise in his cheeks.

Kate realises they have just been caught red-handed doing something that no-one in her life knows they now do together. And, recognising the look Castle has registered on his face, she knows it must be someone more important than a random repairman. She turns, and instantly recognises her father. _Oh, could life get any more embarrassing right now?_ She groans inwardly.

Feeling the wave of shame rush over her while wanting to desperately crawl under the carpet, she manages to coax her voice to work. "Dad. Umm, did we have plans tonight?" Realising she sounded short with him, she adds, "...oh, but it's good to see you."

Still facing the door, not daring to look at them, he coughs, clearing his throat before forcing his voice to work. "Sorry, Katie. I should have called before arriving on your doorstep like this, I was just in the city and thought…" Trying to calm his mortification at catching his daughter with a man who is obviously _more_ than her partner, he adds, "Didn't mean to interrupt your night, I'll just get going and give you a call another time."

"No, Dad, you're…umm…not interrupting, Castle was just walking me to my door after a long day." She gently elbows Castle in the stomach.

"Uh, Kate, I don't think your Dad is that naive," he blurts out. Registering _the look_ that she throws back over her shoulder at him, he quickly corrects. "But, ah that's right, just making sure she got home safe and sound. By the way, good to see you again, Mr Beckett." Castle shifts on his feet, hoping he recovered with the second part of that statement.

A laugh sounds out from Jim, "Oh, Rick. I see she has you wrapped around her little finger already." He swivels to take in the pair. "And, Rick, call me Jim, it's obvious that I'll be seeing a lot more of you in the future."

He is pleased with the obvious developments between them. _A long time_ coming, he thinks to himself. Kate gives him her trademark shy smile and reaches back to briefly squeeze Castle's hand. The awkwardness of catching your daughter in a compromised situation settles in the air around them.

"So, I'll be off," he quickly injects into the atmosphere. He sees her open her mouth to object, but he adds before she has a chance to interject, "I have to get home anyway, the cat's going to be waiting to be fed. Word of advice Castle, don't get a cat." he huffs, "...more high maintenance than living with a woman."

"Hey, watch it!" Kate answers back.

Castle laughs, "I'll take my chances with Mother and Alexis I think, know what I'm in for with them."

"Good man, this one." Jim winks at Kate as he walks towards them. He reaches out to hug her.

She squeezes him in return, whispering, "I know, and thanks, Dad."

He pats her on the back lovingly. Reaching out to shake Castle's hand, Jim smiles. "Good to see you again, Rick." Adding, "Look after my girl, won't you?"

Castle offers his hand to complete the handshake, realising that he was just given a gentle warning.

He swallows. "No question there, Jim." He looks down at Kate and simply says with a wide smile, "Always." She smiles back at him, feeling her heart swell at the personal signal of love and affection that exists between them.

Jim interrupts the moment to make a hasty exit. "Good to hear." He backs away down the hall. "I'll call you soon, Katie."

She rushes to comment, "Maybe we can have dinner together soon? That way I can introduce you to Rick properly?" Kate adds a shy smile.

Jim feels the fatherly love swell in his chest, smiling, he answers, "That sounds nice, we'll arrange a night soon. Night Katie, night Rick," he calls as he disappears around the corner.

Castle leans into her back as she is trying to steady her shaking hands to unlock the door. "Well, that went better than I thought it would," he breathes into her ear.

"Castle, what part of that went well? My father almost caught me with my hands down your pants!" She spits at him.

He reaches down to run his fingers along the curve of her hips, reaching into her pocket and retrieving her phone.

"Well, if you had answered your phone when it rang, we would have known he was at your door." He flashes her phone, which is displaying,_ Missed Call: Dad._

His infuriatingly cheeky smile is plastered all over his face as she looks over her shoulder at him.

Giving him the look again, she says flatly, "I blame you for all of this, I hope you know."

"Oh, I knew you would. But that's okay, I have broad shoulders." The smile can be heard in his voice as she turns her attention back to unlocking the door.

"Now, where were we?" he asks, before lowering his lips back to the curve of her neck and wrapping his hands around her stomach.

She hears the click of the door unlock and reaches down to pry his hands off her stomach, she steps forward, opening the door.

"Castle, I think the moment has passed for _that_, I need a glass of wine!" She forcefully states as she steps over the threshold to her apartment.

Following after her, he curses her father for his interruption. _But wine may assist with finding the moment again_, he contemplates. He turns to close the door behind him, smiling smugly.

_If it's the last thing I do, I'll help her find that moment again - tonight._

* * *

A/N - A huge Thank You to my wonderful friend/beta Katy (she is the master so check out her work on here - Dana Keylits), This would not have been possible without you! And as much as I may say I'm not listening to your pestering, I do secretly love it.

This was my first ever attempt at writing anything other than an essay for University so please let me know what you thought; good, bad or otherwise. Just try and be a little bit gentle ;-)

Thank You so much for reading!

P.S There may also be an idea for a follow up 'M' Chapter...if there is interest in it.


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